sw Virginia

[Jo]

Thanks to the several people who sent me their observations about the
mourning cloak.  Pierre also had asked me about good photography sites in
Virginia, and I'm answering his question publicly in case others might be
interested now or in future.  There are three excellent sites for seeing
Lepidoptera and other insects in my immediate vicinity:

1) managed fields in a watershed called Poverty Creek adjacent to my home,

2) another managed area (which I have visited) called Caldwell Fields that
is in  adjacent Craig County, and

3) a summer resort called Mountain Lake in adjacent Giles County at
elevation  3000-4000 feet and a beautiful place to visit anyway. I find
this place especially interesting to go see old growth forest, birds, etc.,
and because the seasons at that altitude lag 3-4 weeks behind the rest of
the region.  This place has a bald spot plus fields that were previously a
golf course.  Remember Dirty Dancing movie? (ugh) Mountain Lake is where
most of it was filmed.

I plan to visit the Shenandoah Natl Park in spring/summer and will scout it
for especially rich sites.  As for sites farther afield in the Jefferson NF
and George Washington NF, I have yet to get answers, and will post those
when I do.

Jo

Jo Angleberger
W.I.N.E. Administrator
http://ebbs.english.vt.edu/nww/nww.html

A classic is a book that has never finished saying what it has to say.
(Italo Calvino)